ACT Workkeys
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TEST DATES:
Test Dates for Fall 2024 will end of November, beginning of December. Specific student test dates will be provided for students via their second period teacher later in the year.ACT WorkKeys is a job skills assessment system measuring "real-world" skills that employers believe are critical to job success. This is an opportunity for you to earn your Career Readiness Certification, which you can include on your resume, college applications, and you can discuss in scholarship interviews.
You can receive a certificate at one of these levels: Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze.
The test consists of three 55-minute sections: Workplace Documents, Applied Mathematics, and Graphic Literacy.
The NC Department of Public Instruction will notify the school of your scores or you can create an ACT account and access your testing information. Creating an ACT Account
All seniors who complete a 2nd level CTE Concentrator course are considered a CTE concentrator and are required to take this exam.
Review Sample Questions and Benefits
WorkKeys test questions are based on situations in the everyday work world. Employers across the country are requiring the WorkKeys assessments. You can earn a National Career Readiness Certificate. Scores from these tests help employers choose the most qualified candidates for jobs.
http://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/workkeys-for-employers/assessments.html
Why should parents and students care about these tests?
All students enter the workforce eventually—whether they get a job right out of high school, work part-time while continuing their education, or go to college first and then start a career.
WorkKeys stresses skills development important for every type of employment. The abilities to learn, listen, communicate, work in teams, and solve problems—all areas addressed by WorkKeys—are important assets for any employee, regardless of career choice. They are also extremely important in today's colleges.
Why is WorkKeys important to high school students?
WorkKeys provides important information no matter what type of skilled or professional career you plan to pursue after high school. Studies show that occupations requiring higher skills in math, locating information, and reading pay higher entry-level salaries.
In fact, skill levels show a stronger correlation to pay than education levels do.
By increasing your skill levels while still in school, you increase your opportunities for higher salaries in the future. Because WorkKeys measures skills valued by employers, you can use your results to get a better picture of your future success in the workforce and improve areas where your skills are weak. Schools can use the information—along with input from employers—to ensure that courses of study provide adequate work skills training to meet the needs of businesses. (www.act.org)
Want to Learn More about ACT Work Keys?
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Students who complete one or more of the completer courses offered at Panther Creek are eligable to take the ACT WorkKeys Assessment.
Benefits of ACT WorkKeys
ACT WorkKeys® assessments are the cornerstone of ACT workforce solutions. The assessments measure foundational skills required for success in the workplace, and help measure the workplace skills that can affect job performance. WorkKeys assessments are:
- Relevant—WorkKeys® assessments are developed to solve actual workplace problems. Unlike other assessments, they don’t simply give an indication of reading and writing competency. Instead, they measure a range of hard and soft skills relevant to any occupation, at any level, and across industries.
- Recognized—Successful completion of WorkKeys core assessments can lead to earning an ACT WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate™ (ACT WorkKeys NCRC®)—a credential that verifies the skills found to be most essential across industries and occupations. Tens of thousands of employers recognize the value of the NCRC, and many recommend the credential to candidates.
Each assessment offers varying levels of difficulty. The levels build on each other, incorporating the skills assessed at the previous levels. For example, at Level 5, individuals need the skills from Levels 3, 4, and 5. The complexity increases as the quantity and/or density of the information increases.
Assessments are web-based and most take one hour. They are offered in both English and Spanish.
National Career Readiness Certificate
Individuals who successfully complete the three WorkKeys assessments—Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents—earn the WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate® (WorkKeysNCRC®), a valuable credential for students and job seekers seeking to verify foundational workplace skills. ACT WorkKeys also offers additional assessments to measure interests, values, and behaviors that can lead to greater job satisfaction.
